Star eating pineapple sponges?
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Crabs McJones
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Is there a particular reason you want to get rid of the pineapple sponges?The back chambers of my biocube 32 has a pretty healthy farm of pineapple sponges. There are none in the display. I do have an orange knobby starfish in the tank. They are hard to find good information about but I did find something that said they eat sponges?!? Could this be what keeps them out of the display? He seems to go to the overflow sometimes and I think he’s trying to get inside. I do have a few pineapples in the display of my 75g tank but no star. What do y’all think?
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ColbyNTX
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Never said anything about trying to get rid of them. Just curious if the star could be eating them? I live in a very rural area and not a lot of good’ol reef tank discussions around here
Pineapple sponges tend to grow in cryptic zones with increased flow, sumps, overflows, behind equipment, under rocks. I suspect that is the reason you do not see such prolific growth of the sponge in the display.
themcnertney
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Well said.
I'd be concerned though that your starfish will eat coral. Doesn't seem reef safe to me.
Crabs McJones
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Gotchya, sorry I thought you were trying to eradicate your pineapple sponges lol.Never said anything about trying to get rid of them. Just curious if the star could be eating them? I live in a very rural area and not a lot of good’ol reef tank discussions around here
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ColbyNTX
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This orange knobby seems to be pretty harmless. The Africa red knobby on the other hand..... My LFS specializes in mostly reefs & coral. They also have an aquarium service where they service many, many aquariums. I got the star from them and they’ve put them in many reefs over the years with no problems. Could munch some zoas tomorrow for all I know? Things aren’t a problem until they’re a problem
. I’ve had him for months and he’s been a model citizen with the exception of mowing a few plugs over now and then.
^ Exactly. Echinaster echinophorus/Red Thorny is not considered reef safe.
https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/1748/?pcatid=1748
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ColbyNTX
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I hear you Tahoe. From my experience and my personal friends experience who have them in reef tanks, they have never been a problem. He could munch a colony tomorrow for all I know but I like him and he will stay as long as he’s not a problem. I do have another tank with very few corals he could be banished to if needed.
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ColbyNTX
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I also had the same starfish in my reef tank. He never ate the coral. I also have a coral beauty since before I had coral and she doesn't eat them either and she's not reef safe.He is beautiful. I love star fish.
